Fuel Cell Stack Buffer Member for Front Collision Load Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
During a front collision, variations in the stacking condition of fuel cell stacks can cause reduced fastening loads in fuel cells due to inertia forces, leading to potential leakage of coolant and reaction gas.
Innovation Solution
A buffer member is disposed in front of the fuel cell stack, fixed to a stack frame, which absorbs and reduces the impact load, thereby minimizing the inertia force applied to the fuel cell stack, and is designed to maintain an input load below the durable load of the fuel cell stack, even at collision speeds of up to 56 km/h.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fuel cell stack is disposed in a front room at the vehicle-front portion, then the fuel cell stack can be installed in the vehicle, but variation in tightness-looseness occurs in the stacking condition of cells during front collision due to inertia force
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer member is disposed between the front collision surface and the fuel cell stack to absorb and reduce impact loads before they reach the stack. The buffer member is configured to reduce input load at front collision (56 km/h) to be smaller than the durable load of the fuel cell stack, preventing variation in tightness-looseness of cell stacking during collision.
2Device complexity
If the fuel cell stack is directly exposed to collision impact, then the structure is simpler, but the fastening load of fuel cells becomes smaller at positions with looser stacking condition
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer member is introduced as an intermediary component between the collision impact and the fuel cell stack. This buffer member absorbs and reduces the input load, ensuring that the load transmitted to the stack is smaller than its durable load, thereby maintaining adequate fastening loads on all fuel cells including those at positions that would otherwise become loose.
3Reliability
If no buffer member is provided, then the device is simpler and cheaper, but the input load into the fuel cell stack exceeds the durable load during front collision
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer member is positioned beforehand in front of the fuel cell stack to cushion and reduce the impact load from front collisions. By configuring the buffer member with appropriate load-reducing characteristics, the input load to the stack during 56 km/h collision is ensured to be smaller than the durable load, protecting the stack without requiring complex active protection systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively suppresses variations in the stacking condition, preventing smaller fastening loads and leakage of coolant and reaction gas, while allowing for flexible design adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
A buffer member is disposed in front of the fuel cell stack in the vehicle-longitudinal direction... configured to reduce an input load into the fuel cell stack at a front collision time of the vehicle at a predetermined rating speed to be smaller than a durable load of the fuel cell stack
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle includes: a front room disposed at a front portion of the vehicle in the vehicle in a vehicle-longitudinal direction; a fuel cell stack disposed in the front room, the fuel cell stack including multiple cells stacked in the vehicle-longitudinal direction; and a buffer member disposed in front of the fuel cell stack in the vehicle-longitudinal direction.